Behind the Blogger | The Challenges of Blogging

This post is going to be a bit different from my last ‘Behind the Blogger‘ post, but something that I think needs to be addressed. I’m sure you’ve noticed – but it’s been about a month since my last post on the blog. Unfortunately, these periods of ups and downs have been far too common for me. Some weeks I feel like I’m killing it and want to devote all of my time and energy to this website, and other weeks I sit idly by and watch unfazed as my traffic and numbers slowly begin to decrease due to my absence.

I was actually inspired by my friends Sydney and Maya of Classic City Chic to write this post, and to be candid as to the challenges of blogging. I wrote a post a few months ago on the pros and cons of blogging, and while that post still rings true, today’s post is just an opportunity for me to brain dump (as Brighton Keller calls it) on my feelings about blogging right now.

There’s Not Enough Hours in the Day

I love my blog, but it is just so much work. I work full-time, go to graduate school, have a social life, am working on some other passion projects, and sometimes just do not have enough energy – or frankly, the time – to crank out a blog post and schedule social media to promote said blog post. There’s so much that goes into blogging (I dive into the various aspects in this post), that it truly feels like a second full-time job. I think I’ve come to realize that I might be someone who experiences the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. There’s been so many times where I’m constantly on my social channels, obsessing over my stats and brainstorming future content ideas. Then there’s times like this past month where I can’t even be bothered to respond to comments and let my editorial calendar just slip by the waist side. Moving forward, I know that if I want to grow this space, consistency is key. I just have to get to that place!

Is Anyone Out There?

I remember when I first started my blog and my cousin mentioned to me that if I wanted to grow, I needed to promote the posts. If not, I was just talking to myself. While it still makes me laugh to this day, sometimes I feel as if I really am talking to myself. There have been instances where no matter how many times I share a post on my social channels, it’s oftentimes not enough to quell the fear that no one is even reading this. Now, I know that’s not true thankfully to things such as Google Analytics (HA!), but I still have those fears, which makes it hard to find the motivation to continue creating content.

Playing the Comparison Game

This is something that I typically hadn’t experienced before, but has crept into my mind as of late. Because I have so many obligations (which yes, I know – if you care about something you’ll make it work), it’s hard to not feel envious or that I’m missing out on the opportunities that other bloggers have. I see people growing at such fast rates and landing cool partnerships, that it’s hard to not compare myself and wish I was doing the same. While it should be a kick in the butt, sometimes it has the opposite effect and I don’t feel like doing anything.

As I mentioned in the beginning, I love my blog and these are just things that have been at top of my mind as of late. It feels good to vent, but I’d love to know if you guys struggle with this stuff from time to time? What do you think are the challenges of blogging?

Shop the post:

Blouse: Ann Taylor (currently 60% off and I get so many compliments!) // Jeans: GAP // Shoes: Kenneth Cole // Purse: Kate Spade

Photos by Ashlee O’Neil